Best Public Schools in Danville, AL

The city of Danville, Alabama, is served by four public schools—two elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school—that together enroll roughly 1,428 students and are split between the Morgan County and Lawrence County districts.

For parents, the standout choice is DanvilleNeel Elementary School, which has earned a 4-star rating for three straight years and ranks in the 85th percentile statewide. Its 4th-grade math proficiency (84.34%) is double the state average, and its English scores are consistently strong. In contrast, Speake—the only Lawrence County school in the city—struggles significantly in math (as low as 12.5% proficiency) despite having the highest per-student spending ($11,770) and the lowest student-teacher ratio (15.4:1). Danville Middle School shows a troubling "middle school slide": 5th-grade math proficiency is excellent at 59.26%, but it collapses to just 10.45% in 6th grade—a 49-point drop that far exceeds district trends. Danville High School is the success story at the secondary level, jumping from a 1-star to a 3-star rating in two years, with a 96.5% graduation rate (well above the state's 91.5%) and strong gains in science (23.26% to 38.67% proficiency).

Across the city, English Language Arts is a consistent strength, even at lower-performing schools, while math is the clear weak point. Chronic absenteeism is a bright spot for Morgan County schools—all three are below the state average of 12.0%, with Danville High at just 7.1%—but Speake exceeds it at 13.1%. Socioeconomic factors vary, with free/reduced lunch rates from 48.93% at Danville High to 67.42% at Speake. The district divide within one city is striking: despite Speake's higher funding and better ratios, DanvilleNeel dramatically outperforms it, suggesting that curriculum, leadership, and school culture matter more than resources alone. For parents, DanvilleNeel and Danville High offer the strongest academic trajectories, while the middle school's 6th-grade math dip and Speake's overall challenges warrant closer attention.